Beer # 155 Lake of Bays Stitches Oktoberfest Lager

Stitches Oktoberfest Lager
NHL Alumni Signature Series

Join here: Signature Series Club

Lake of Bays Brewing Company

Baysville, Ontario, Canada
Independent
Oktoberfest Lager
8.0 % ABV Brown Glass Bottle 750 ml
$11.95 (Canadian) At LCBO 

Twitter: @LB_brewing @NHLAlumni

Well, finally back for the last instalment of the masked men series (very sadly I may add). And to round out the lineup of larger than life beers for larger than life men, we have Gerry Cheevers. Cheevers was born in 1940 in St. Catharines Ontario, and got his start playing for the Toronto St. Michael's Majors. He only played 2 games for the Toronto Maple Leafs one win and one loss, but he went on to be a star in the net for the Boston Bruins. He netminded the Bruins to the Stanley Cup in 1970 and 1972, and later went on to be a successful coach for Boston and colour commentator for both The Hartford Whalers and Boston. He finally ended his hockey career scouting draft picks for Boston up until 2002. But What really set Cheevers apart was his iconic mask. So iconic in fact, that when the Hockey News rated the best masks of all time Cheevers mask scored 221 points out of a possible 300, the 2nd place mask got 66 points. The mask's origin came from an incident where Cheevers was hit in the mask with a puck during practice. He dodged into the dressing room and his Coach followed him in and discovered Cheevers having a beer (too bad Lake of Bays wasn't around back then...) Harry Sinden Boston's coach at the time yelled at Cheevers and said if he wasn't injured he had to be out on the ice. As he suited back up to head out John Forestall the team trainer drew a stitch-mark on his mask as a joke. The joke caught on and every time Cheevers took a puck to the mask, a new stitch-mark was added. The final mask looks like something out of a Tim Burton night terror... and it hangs on the wall of Gerry Cheevers' Grandson's bedroom. Hopefully it will find it's way to the Hockey Hall of Fame someday, as the great Gerry Cheevers did himself, being inducted in 1985 only five years after his storied 24 year long playing career.

I remember watching Cheevers as a very young boy. He was a good old fashioned stand up goalie that stopped pucks like a brick wall. He is retired now, raises Thoroughbred race horses. I hope he is sitting back tonight enjoying a beer as much as I am enjoying one named in honour of him.

Onto The Last Masked Man...

Dark copper in colour with a short off-tan head. Deep malty aroma with some caramel, licorice and vanilla. Toasty bread and grain on the first sip, with lots of caramel sweetness. Hints of citrus and vanilla. Mild hoppy bitterness through the middle to balance the sweetness. Green herbal spicy hops. Finish is toasty malty and sweet. Aeration gives us caramel, sweet, anise, turbinado sugar, and a hint of vanilla.




Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 

Cost: 5/6 Pass
Colour: 5/6 PASS
Beer Style: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Re-Order:  6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Experience:  6/6 EXCEPTIONAL

Final Thoughts:

Textbook beautiful, Oktoberfest. Sweet, malty, hint of green hops and mild spice. Very much a food beer, sausage would be traditional, and delightful. But barring that, BBQ, hotdogs, a hamburger, a nice steak, potato chips, all would go well with this beer. The alcohol is noticeable, share with a friend, or eat a good meal with it. Please enjoy responsibly, but do not hesitate to grab one... they will not be here much longer.

Cheers

CJT


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Beer # 145 Lake of Bays Jake The Snake Imperial Pilsner

Jake The Snake Imperial Pilsner
NHL Alumni Signature Series








Join here: Signature Series Club

Lake of Bays Brewing Company

Baysville, Ontario, Canada
Independent
Imperial Pilsner 7.5% ABV Brown Glass Bottle 750 ml
$11.95 (Canadian) At LCBO 
Twitter: @LB_brewing @NHLAlumni

And back with the third installment of the "Masked Men" series from Lake of Bays. This series would certainly not be complete without the original masked man. Jacques Plante.

Canadian Heritage Moment: Jacques Plante First Goalie Mask

Jacques was the first born child of Xavier and Palma Plante of Notre-Dame-du-Mont-Carmel, in Mauricie, Quebec in 1929. He began to play hockey when he was 5 years old, with no skates and a goalie stick his father had carved from a tree root. His first "professional" hockey games were when he was 14 and playing for his Father's factory's team. The coach paid him $0.50 a game because all of the other players were workers in the factory drawing wages. Plante, however, refused the plentiful offers that came his way, some from the US and England, until he finished high school. A few weeks after he graduated he signed with the Quebec Citadeles for $85.00  a week and he never looked back. In 1953 Plante was called up to the Montreal Canadiens, and that year he finished with his first Stanley cup. He went on to win 5 more, each with the Canadiens. But the 1959-1960 season is what Plante is to be remembered most for. After being struck in the face by a slapshot from Andy Bathgate of the New York Rangers three minutes into the game, Plante was in the infirmary receiving stitches. He told his coach Toe Blake that he would not return to the ice unless he could wear the fibreglass mask he used during practises. Despite Blake's fury, Plante returned to the ice with stitches, a broken nose and the first goalie mask used in the NHL. (Clint Benedict of the Montreal Maroons wore a leather nose protector in a few games in 1929 to protect his broken nose, but this was the first use of a "modern' goalie mask ). IIncidentally the Canadien's won that game 3 to 1. and went on an 18 game winning streak after that, aided by Plante and his goalie mask. That year Plante won his final Stanley cup. Plante went on to play for Toronto, Boston, St. Louis, New York and he ended his career in Edmonton in 1975. After his playing career Plante became a top notch goal coach and an analyst. But sadly, after moving to Switzerland with his second wife, Plante passed away in 1986 at the all too young age of 57. Hockey felt his loss.

Onto our tasting.

Deep golden to copper in colour. Good sized head, white bubbles of medium size. Nose is sweet, hoppy and lightly malted. First sip is citrus and malty. Alcohol is quite evident. Very full bodied. Some caramel and turnbinado sugar. a touch of creaminess. Aeration is smoky, sweet, and caramel. Finish is medicinal hops.

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 

Cost: 5/6 Pass
Colour: 5/6 PASS
Beer Style: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Re-Order:  6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Experience:  6/6 EXCEPTIONAL

Final Thoughts:

This is a pilsner on steroids. While it has all the usual characteristics of a good pilsner, it also has more of everything else. Massive flavour, good sturdy malt profile, light citrusy hops. Forward, innovative, and demanding like it's namesake, this beer demands your attention. I suggest you heed it's call while it is still available.

Cheers

CJT


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Beer # 118 Lake of Bays Brewery Cujo Imperial Golden Ale

Cujo Curtis Joseph Golden Ale
NHL Alumni Signature Series

Join here: Signature Series Club

Lake of Bays Brewing Company

Baysville, Ontario, Canada
Independent
Imperial Golden Ale 8.0% ABV Brown Glass Bottle 750 ml
$11.95 (Canadian) At LCBO 
Twitter: @LB_brewing @NHLAlumni



The second beer in the Lake of Bays Signature Series pays tribute to one of the most hardworking men ever to don a hockey mask. Curtis Joseph, nicknamed "Cujo" after the ferocious dog from the Stephen King book of the same name, Is the winningest goalie in NHL history to never hoist a Stanley Cup. As fierce in the net as his namesake, Cujo played with The Toronto Maple Leafs, Edmonton Oilers, Detroit Red Wings, Phoenix Coyotes, St. Louis Blues, and the Calgary Flames; always sporting a version of the Snarling Dog  Mask, and his Jersey # 31. However, he is most remembered for his Tour of Duty between the pipes in Toronto, Not far from his hometown of Sharon, Ontario. Born in 1967 the year the Leafs Last won the cup, he was a fan favourite player, who never gave up despite the Leafs long time losing streak. When he chose to retire, he chose to do it in Toronto, wearing the Blue and White. His trophy case is not empty though. He won a silver medal in the IIHF in 1996, a gold at the Spengler Cup in 2007 and he netminded Team Canada to a Gold Medal in the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah. So fittingly for our golden goalie, we have a golden ale. 

Onto the tasting:

Hony in colour with an off-white head made up of small bubbles and some decent lacing. The aroma is very mild, some light grain, wood, cheese and a slight sour mash fenentation. First sip is crisp, clean, and sweet followed by a nice green, herbal hops with a touch of bitterness. The alcohol kicks in right away and the aftertaste is not unlike a mild brandywine. Carmel develops on the finish, giving way to a hint of lemony citrus. Aeration enhances the sugars and caramels and brightens the citrus.

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 

Cost: 5/6 PASS
Colour: 5/6 PASS
Beer Style: 5/6 PASS
Re-Order:  5/6 PASS
Experience:  5/6 PASS


Final Thoughts:

A good sturdy beer worthy of representing a hockey legend. Get one while you still can.
Cheers

CJT


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Beer # 117 Lake of Bays Brewery China Wall

China Wall Johnny Bower Vienna Dark Lager
NHL Alumni Signature Series

Join here: Signature Series Club

Lake of Bays Brewing Company

Baysville, Ontario, Canada
Independent
Vienna Dark Lager 7.0% ABV Brown Glass Bottle 750 ml
$11.95 (Canadian) At LCBO 
Twitter: @LB_brewing @NHLAlumni

This is the first beer in the Lake of Bays, NHL Alumni Association Signature Series colaboration. This one comemorates the great Johnny Bower, the last Toronto Maple leaf goalie to loft the Stanley Cup in 1967 at the age of 43. Bower was a stand up goalie who was noted for never backing down; taking more than 200 stitches, mostly to the face, and losing more than his fair share of teeth. His unwaivering stance in net earned him the nickname The China Wall. An image of his battle scarred proto-hockey mask (merely a thin sheaf of fibreglass held together with leather straps) graces the front of the bottle.

Onto the tasting:

Dark chestnut in colour with hints of red. Fairly long lasting tan coloured head made up of medium sized bubbles, with good lacing. Dark malt, molasses, and pumpernickel bread on the nose. first sip gives us a dark, robust, malty-molasses, taste that is very grain driven with lingering hints of black licorice. Aeration gives us lively fruit, malt, turbinado sugar and a hint of creaminess.

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 

Cost: 5/6 PASS
Colour: 5/6 PASS
Beer Style: 5/6 PASS
Re-Order:  5/6 PASS
Experience:  5/6 PASS


Final Thoughts:
A very solid offering for a Vienna lager, and a good namesake for the best goalie the Toronto Maple Leafs ever saw. It is a full flavoured well rounded beer, and you should get one while they are still in stores.

Cheers

CJT


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